Originally from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, MIA JOHNSON has been in Philly making music for over a decade. She got her start busking her original songs on South Street, then onto Philly venues, the recording studio, and independent tours of the East Coast and Midwest. Over the years she has performed as a solo act with just acoustic guitar, in a full rock band, and currently performs her music regularly in the acoustic trio called TWO-AND-A-HALF CHICKS which includes herself on lead vocals and guitar, ERIN RYAN on CELLO, and STEPH HAYES on DRUMS. The sound is rhythmically varied, rich in melody and very chill to really rockin' with influences of folk, blues, reggae, gypsy punk and of course, rock n' roll. Although the group plays Mia's original songs, they also have a long list of cover songs ranging from The Pretenders to Madonna, Elvis Costello to Tom Petty and beyond.
Mia shows her versatility performing the role of JUNE CARTER in DAVID STONE: THE JOHNNY CASH EXPERIENCE which is the premier full-band JOHNNY CASH TRIBUTE SHOW and the only Johnny Cash Tribute ever to be selected by the State of California (even over Johnny's original band) to play the 40th anniversary commemorative concert at San Quentin State Prison on February 24,
2009, celebrating The historic performance of Johnny Cash at the facility in 1969.
Mia has recorded three albums of her original music and is now in pre-production for her fourth due out in 2010. Her 2004 release DRIVER is available on iTunes and CDbaby.com She also appears as backing vocalist on STEPH HAYES and THE GOOD PROBLEMS 2006 release entitled DIRTY BEAUTY, as JUNE CARTER on THE JOHNNY CASH EXPERIENCE's 2007 release LIVE AT THE GLOBE and on various recordings over the years by several artists including CHRIS KASPER, SCHOOLY D, JAMES KLUEH, THE PRINCES OF BABYLON, ADAM BRODSKY, MICHAEL DUTTON and STAGAZER LILY.